Health committee  Well, when the mandates were implemented there was a strong resurgence of the delta variant and the vaccines were very effective, even though there were the beginnings of some waning immunity. Even two doses are effective against infection and, of course, serious outcomes. Omicron is a game-changer, in that you really need to increase the number of doses of vaccine.

Health committee  It is really important. We want to attract people to all scientific domains, including public health. I hope people will consider public health. It means beginning not just at the university stage, but in high school, with making sure that even at that stage there is good support for students, especially girls, for example, in terms of certain STEM fields, where there is a gender imbalance that needs to be addressed.

Health committee  Yes, it's a program that is important not just for COVID vaccines but for all vaccines. It's there to address any vaccine adverse events that are serious following immunization, which I think from a public health perspective is a very important program, and it facilitates support for individuals who may have experienced adverse effects.

Health committee  Mr. Chair, the pandemic is not over, and given the continuous evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we think that it's very likely that we will get some more viral activity in the future. We can't predict exactly how big the next wave is, but I think we need to prepare. We need to prepare for the fall and winter season.

Health committee  It's very important that we continue to monitor the genomics, the genomic sequencing, which is being done right now. The omicron virus continues to undergo evolution. You've probably seen the various sublineages. In particular, right now we're monitoring three: the BA.2.12.1, the BA.4 and the BA.5, which have some immune escape properties as well as increased transmissibility.

Health committee  I think omicron was and is a game-changer. Prior to that, two doses of vaccine, for example, had very high efficacy against infection, and therefore transmission, as well as against severe outcomes. When omicron came along, protection from two doses really waned over time and saw a real decline over time to 20% or less after six months.

Health committee  The opioid and polysubstance use crisis is a challenge for public health. We should not treat it as a criminal issue, so I think the recent policy changes, in particular what has been happening in British Columbia just very recently, are a step in the right direction, though we should always treat the crisis as a public health issue.

Health committee  I think we're just learning about immunity both from infections and from vaccines. It also depends on the variant that you're talking about. I think there's certainly evidence that for variants prior to omicron, if you had an infection, you could have quite significant immunity.

Health committee  I'll start, and then Stephen Bent, who's in charge of procurement, can supplement. I think it's very important to get the clinical trials looked at in terms of the Moderna bivalent vaccines. We're looking forward to the data—we hope over the next month—on the bivalent ancestral strain, plus an omicron strain, but the proof of concept with a beta variant strain is promising.

Health committee  Yes, the broader health system is learning how to do implementation. Of course, from a federal perspective, we have done our leadership work in procuring the vaccine and leveraging partners to provide guidance on how best to use the medication. Implementation is not easy, because you have to get the medication into people really fast and people have to get a diagnosis, but we're seeing innovation across the country.

Health committee  Maybe I'll start. Health Canada is playing a lead role in terms of convening provinces, territories and our ministers in talking about health human resources. Those are probably one of the top priorities of the discourse and discussion with the provinces going forward, including credentialing and getting an international medical workforce trained and recognized.

Health committee  The key to addressing COVID is to take all of the measures we just talked about, including vaccinations and protection of health care workers in terms of different layers of measures. If we don't address COVID-19, the health system will not be able to get back to addressing backlogs of surgeries, etc.

Health committee  Thank you for the question. At this period, two-plus years into the pandemic, with vaccines in hand, even though we're still learning about it, I think there's a much better chance of getting that balance. That's what the chief medical officers across the country are trying to do.

Health committee  On that, I believe I would have to consult Health Canada. That is not within the area the agency has responsibility for.

Health committee  I think more needs to be done, and it's not just the provision of the number of vaccines. It's being able to support the vaccination of the population. There's trust and there are other issues as to why these vaccines are not being used. The supply is outpacing demand at this moment.